C2 · 50 words
Botany in Spanish
Structure, reproduction, physiology and identification — the language in which a plant species is described.
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From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
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El fruto carnoso is the fleshy fruit, and Spanish keeps two words here where English has one. El fruto is the botanical thing, whatever it tastes like: a tomato and an acorn are both frutos, and so is el fruto de su trabajo. La fruta is the sweet kind, the thing in the bowl — comer fruta, la frutería. English says « fruit » for all of it, and only the sentence around it says which one is meant.
The words
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Phrase (27)
la botánica sistemáticathe ordering of plants by who is related to whomPhraseC2
La botánica sistemática ordena las plantas por parentesco.Systematic botany orders plants by relatedness.
la clave dicotómicathe two-way ladder of questions that ends at a namePhraseC2
La clave dicotómica propone dos opciones cada vez.The dichotomous key offers two choices each time.
el porte de la plantathe overall build of a plant, seen from a distancePhraseC2
El porte de la planta es arbustivo.The habit of the plant is shrubby.
la planta herbáceathe plant that makes no wood and dies backPhraseC2
La planta herbácea no forma madera.The herbaceous plant forms no wood.
la planta leñosathe plant that makes wood and keeps its stemPhraseC2
La planta leñosa conserva el tallo en invierno.The woody plant keeps its stem through the winter.
la roseta basalthe ring of leaves flat on the ground before anything risesPhraseC2
La roseta basal aparece antes del tallo florido.The basal rosette appears before the flowering stem.
la raíz pivotantethe one of the roots that goes far deeper than the restPhraseC2
La raíz pivotante baja mucho más que el resto.The taproot goes much deeper than the rest.
la raíz fasciculadathe many roots of one size that hold the topsoilPhraseC2
La raíz fasciculada sujeta el suelo superficial.The fibrous root holds the surface soil.
el haz de la hojathe side of a leaf that faces the sky, and is darkerPhraseC2
El haz de la hoja es más oscuro.The upper side of the leaf is darker.
el limbo foliarthe flat part of a leaf, apart from its stalkPhraseC2
El limbo foliar es ovalado y entero.The leaf blade is oval and entire.
la hoja compuestathe leaf that is cut all the way into separate small leavesPhraseC2
La hoja compuesta se divide en folíolos.The compound leaf is divided into leaflets.
la disposición opuestathe arrangement that puts two leaves at each jointPhraseC2
La disposición opuesta pone dos hojas por nudo.Opposite arrangement puts two leaves at each node.
la disposición alternathe arrangement that puts one leaf at each jointPhraseC2
La disposición alterna deja una hoja por nudo.Alternate arrangement leaves one leaf at each node.
la cutícula foliarthe waxy skin that keeps the water inPhraseC2
La cutícula foliar reduce la pérdida de agua.The leaf cuticle reduces water loss.
la transpiración foliarthe loss of water from the leaves, which pulls the whole column upPhraseC2
La transpiración foliar arrastra la columna de agua.Leaf transpiration drags the column of water up.
el potencial hídricothe measure that says which way water will movePhraseC2
El potencial hídrico decide en qué dirección se mueve el agua.Water potential decides which way the water moves.
la fotosíntesis de tipo cuatrothe way of fixing carbon that pays off in heatPhraseC2
La fotosíntesis de tipo cuatro rinde más con calor.C4 photosynthesis yields more in the heat.
el metabolismo ácido de las crasuláceasthe way of fixing carbon that does the breathing at nightPhraseC2
El metabolismo ácido de las crasuláceas abre los estomas de noche.Crassulacean acid metabolism opens the stomata at night.
el ovario súperothe seed case sitting above where the other parts joinPhraseC2
El ovario súpero queda por encima de los sépalos.The superior ovary sits above the sepals.
la polinización cruzadapollen arriving from another plant rather than the same onePhraseC2
La polinización cruzada aumenta la variedad.Cross-pollination increases the variety.
la doble fecundaciónthe two fertilisations that happen at once, making seed and storePhraseC2
La doble fecundación forma embrión y endospermo.Double fertilisation forms embryo and endosperm.
el fruto carnosothe soft wet seed case that is meant to be eatenPhraseC2
El fruto carnoso atrae a los animales.The fleshy fruit attracts animals.
la dehiscencia del frutothe dry seed case that splits and throws the seed outPhraseC2
La dehiscencia del fruto libera la semilla de golpe.Dehiscence of the fruit releases the seed all at once.
la latencia de la semillathe sleep a seed keeps until the year is rightPhraseC2
La latencia de la semilla espera al año siguiente.Seed dormancy waits for the following year.
la escarificación de la semillathe scratching of a hard seed coat to wake it soonerPhraseC2
La escarificación de la semilla adelanta la germinación.Scarifying the seed brings germination forward.
el ejemplar tipothe one pressed plant that the name is tied to for everPhraseC2
El ejemplar tipo ancla el nombre de la especie.The type specimen anchors the name of the species.
la nomenclatura binomialthe two-part naming: the group first, then the onePhraseC2
La nomenclatura binomial da género y epíteto.Binomial nomenclature gives genus and epithet.
Noun (m) (16)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
el rizomathe stem that runs sideways undergroundNoun (m)C2
El rizoma crece horizontal bajo tierra.The rhizome grows horizontally underground.
el estolónthe stem that runs sideways on top and roots as it goesNoun (m)C2
El estolón enraíza en cada nudo.The stolon roots at every node.
el envésthe side of a leaf that faces the ground, and carries the poresNoun (m)C2
El envés lleva casi todos los estomas.The underside carries almost all the stomata.
el peciolothe stalk that joins that flat part to the stemNoun (m)C2
El peciolo mide dos centímetros.The petiole measures two centimetres.
el estomathe pore that opens and shuts to let air in and water outNoun (m)C2
El estoma se cierra cuando falta agua.The stoma closes when water is short.
el parénquimathe soft packing tissue that fills the inside of a leafNoun (m)C2
El parénquima ocupa el interior de la hoja.The parenchyma fills the inside of the leaf.
el xilemathe pipework that carries water upwards from the rootNoun (m)C2
El xilema sube agua desde la raíz.The xylem carries water up from the root.
el floemathe pipework that carries sugar to wherever it is neededNoun (m)C2
El floema reparte los azúcares.The phloem shares out the sugars.
el cámbiumthe thin living ring that makes a trunk thicker each yearNoun (m)C2
El cámbium hace crecer el tronco en grosor.The cambium makes the trunk grow thicker.
el fototropismothe bending of a stem towards the lightNoun (m)C2
El fototropismo dobla el tallo hacia la luz.Phototropism bends the stem towards the light.
el fotoperiodothe length of the day, which is what tells a plant to flowerNoun (m)C2
El fotoperiodo desencadena la floración.The photoperiod triggers flowering.
el cálizthe ring of green parts that wrapped the budNoun (m)C2
El cáliz protege el capullo.The calyx protects the bud.
el estambrethe male part, a stalk with a pollen box on topNoun (m)C2
El estambre lleva la antera en el extremo.The stamen carries the anther at its tip.
el gineceothe female parts taken togetherNoun (m)C2
El gineceo reúne los carpelos.The gynoecium gathers the carpels.
el endospermothe food store packed round the young plant inside the seedNoun (m)C2
El endospermo alimenta al embrión.The endosperm feeds the embryo.
el herbariothe collection of pressed and dated plants kept as evidenceNoun (m)C2
El herbario conserva ejemplares prensados y datados.The herbarium keeps pressed and dated specimens.
Noun (f) (7)
Grammar for these: Masculine or feminine · The plural
la nervadurathe pattern the veins make across itNoun (f)C2
La nervadura es palmeada.The venation is palmate.
la estípulathe small leaf-like flap at the foot of a leaf stalkNoun (f)C2
La estípula puede caer muy pronto.The stipule may fall very early.
la fitohormonathe chemical messenger by which a plant governs itselfNoun (f)C2
La fitohormona regula el crecimiento del brote.The plant hormone governs the growth of the shoot.
la inflorescenciathe way the flowers are arranged on their stalksNoun (f)C2
La inflorescencia es una umbela.The inflorescence is an umbel.
la corolathe ring of coloured parts inside itNoun (f)C2
La corola tiene cinco pétalos soldados.The corolla has five fused petals.
la autoincompatibilidadthe refusal of a plant to be fertilised by its own pollenNoun (f)C2
La autoincompatibilidad impide fecundarse a sí misma.Self-incompatibility stops a plant fertilising itself.
la micorrizathe root-and-fungus partnership that trades sugar for phosphorusNoun (f)C2
La micorriza intercambia azúcar por fósforo.The mycorrhiza trades sugar for phosphorus.
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This list belongs to Nature and natural sciences — 31 lists and 1 550 words that can also be practised as a whole.